Cricket loses out to fitness

Despite the best efforts of Andrew Flintoff and England during the Ashes to raise the profile of cricket in Britain, it seems some shops still care more for fitness equipment than the great game.

I am in the sports department of John Lewis with a friend, trying to buy a cricket bat. But they are out of cricket bats. In fact, they have no cricket equipment at all. A third of the floor space is taken up with treadmills, rowing machines and exercise bikes. "This is all about keeping fit," my friend protests. "What's that got to do with sport?"

You can see what he meant. Despite the best efforts of Freddie Flintoff, cricket gear accounts for less than 1 per cent of the sports equipment market, while fitness kit has a huge 23 per cent, second only to that eternal generator of accessories, golf (35 per cent).

More at the New Statesman.